The Right to Think Together

Friday evening about 40 of us got together in the Chilkat Center to talk about our hopes and our concerns for the future of Haines. The opening atmosphere was deliberately light-hearted with a clever puppet show by Tresham Gregg called "Running for Office," keyboard by Dave Nanney, and drums and the occasional guitar rift by Bear. After we all loosened up, I took the mic and fielded questions for an hour. The evening was classical Haines, in that compassion and inclusion were two recurring themes.

I agree with Thomas Jefferson who said that

"...an association of men who will not quarrel with one another is a thing which never yet existed, from the greatest confederacy of nations down to a town meeting or vestry... ...so there must, from the nature of men, be opposite parties... " (cited in Needleman, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 2002, The American Soul, p.140-141).

That being true, one of the most important roles of government is to protect a space for human beings to exercise the freedom to think together; to exchange perceptions and ideas. That is almost impossible to do without providing also for a strong dose of compassion, one for the other.

No government can legislate compassionate but it can embody it and lead by example. I hope to do that.